Ojai is Waymo's new driverless vehicle

Source: Engadget

Waymo launches the Ojai robotaxi

Waymo has begun offering rides in its brand‑new Ojai robotaxi to passengers in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Phoenix. Trips are free for a limited time.

A purpose‑built vehicle

• The Ojai is Waymo’s first purpose‑built robotaxi, moving away from retrofitted consumer cars.
• It is a van‑sized vehicle, larger than Tesla’s Cybercab concept, providing ample legroom, three rear‑passenger screens, and charging ports.
• Built by Chinese manufacturer Zeekr, the Ojai is outfitted with Waymo’s autonomous‑driving hardware at Waymo’s Arizona factory.

New 6th‑gen Driver software

• The Ojai is the first vehicle to run Waymo’s 6th‑generation Driver software.
• According to Electrek, the new stack reduces camera sensors from 29 to 13 and cuts the number of lidar and radar units, bringing the vehicle’s street cost to under $20,000.
• The software improves performance in snowier cities, a limitation that previously confined Waymo to warmer locations. Waymo has already begun laying the groundwork for a rollout in Chicago (source).

Expansion and current operations

• Waymo now offers autonomous rides in 11 major U.S. cities (Engadget), with over 20 million driverless trips logged—a metric unmatched by any competitor.

Recent operational challenges

• Earlier this month Waymo suspended operations in two cities after its vehicles drove into flooded roads (Engadget).
• The incident prompted a recall of 4,000 robots (Engadget).
• Waymo’s vehicles have also been reported to pass school buses without stopping (Engadget).